


Turning Always From the Dark Side

by NotebookishType



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, But for the Original Trilogy Gang, Canon-Typical Violence, Established Relationship, Force Bond (Star Wars), Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Incest, Leia’s POV, Multi, OT3, Post-Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Sequel Trilogy Fix-It, Sheev Palpatine | Darth Sidious Being an Asshole, Star Wars Rare Pairs Exchange 2020, Tempted by the Dark Side
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:09:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27952880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotebookishType/pseuds/NotebookishType
Summary: What if ...Leia discovered that her son was being groomed for darkness and that she could put an end to it?After recovering a Sith wayfinder on Mustafar, Leia and her family traveled to Exegol. She and Luke have fought their way through the Sith Citadel to Palpatine...But, can Leia protect the ones she loves without succumbing to the dark side?
Relationships: Leia Organa/Luke Skywalker/Han Solo
Comments: 8
Kudos: 8
Collections: Star Wars Rare Pairs 2020





	Turning Always From the Dark Side

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ambiguously](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ambiguously/gifts).



> This fic reimagines events/ideas from The Rise of Skywalker.

“So full of anger and hate. Just like your father,” Palpatine croaked.

Leia bristled at the words, molten rage coursing through her, looking for any possibility to erupt and spread. Her hold on her lightsaber tightened, the raised grips digging into her palms.

This monster was responsible for snuffing out her parents, her _real_ parents, along with every soul on Alderaan. He was responsible for taking away Luke’s family. And their birth parents … this corpse of a man had honed her father into a cruel weapon and released him on the galaxy. And now he was coming for her son? No. Not if she had a damn thing to say about it.

She didn’t remember igniting her lightsaber, but its hum—its bright blue-white blade at the edge of her vision—and Palpatine’s rattling laugh pulled her from her fiery trance.

At the edge of her consciousness she felt Luke, not quite calm but collected. In control of his emotions, because that’s what she needed of him. She hadn’t forgotten he was there so much as she was … consumed by her feelings. By the darkness. She closed her eyes but remained alert in the Force, drawing in an even breath.

She pictured Luke, the ever present beacon of light in her life. Of course Luke hadn’t come alone, he’d brought Han, who challenged her in a way Luke wouldn't—couldn’t. Who walked the fine line of antagonizing her and worshiping her. A realist, but a hopeful one, who always wound up doing the right thing despite his instincts for self-preservation. It was difficult to remember what life was like before they’d all crashed into each other, and impossible to imagine things any other way. She needed them both to be her best self. They needed one another. And Ben needed all three of them.

_Ben._

Her eyes shot open. The darkness beckoned, promising a path to vengeance. No, not only vengeance. A true, decisive victory against the Empire. She could be the one to bring lasting peace to the galaxy.

Luke reached out to her through the Force, sending warmth and unwavering love. There was a touch of fear there, too. Not _of_ her, but _for_ her. A fear of losing her. This was unlike anything they’d been training for.

“I foresaw events unfolding quite differently, but this is much more fitting.” Palpatine’s clouded eyes found hers, another laugh rattling out of him. Hate was somehow holding him together.

Leia adjusted her grip on the lightsaber, considering her next move.

He wanted her mad, but he wanted something more than to turn her to the dark side or create an opening to attack. He needed them for something. He needed them alive. _Why?_

Palpatine leaned forward, looking her over slowly. Her skin crawled under his gaze.

“You want us to strike you down,” Luke said thoughtfully, considering the words as he spoke them. “That’s what you said before— “

"Before you turned your father against me.” Disdain seeped from each word. "No. I no longer have any use for you, Skywalker." He leaned forward in his dark throne, a gleam in his eye. "But, your sister..." He feigned thoughtfulness. “Or should I say lover?”

A surge of emotion burst from Luke, the tension in his body tangible through his connection with Leia. She sensed it was taking all of his effort not to fly into action.

Leia bit down on her tongue, resisting the urge to scold Luke for rising to the bait. She chafed under his protective instincts on a good day, but to see them so easily turned against him was even worse.

She forced herself to take a breath. She couldn’t afford to be distracted by such comparatively little things. _Focus_.

“And what is this use you have for me?”

“This body is failing me,” he said. “I need a suitable replacement. The strandcast receptacles are unreliable conduits for the Force.” His clouded eyes fixed on her and his mouth twisted into a smile.

“You want my body… as your vessel?” Her legs went weak. This wasn’t possible. It couldn’t be possible. “And my son?”

“The boy is one of many promising candidates. A mere contingency. You are the only immediate option.” Palpatine waved a deteriorating hand.

Leia began counting out her breaths as Luke had taught her, but Palpatine’s words wouldn’t leave her. _A mere contingency_. Each word pierced her, punctuated her breaths. A contingency plan? The pain and suffering visited upon her child … the darkness Palpatine had seeded … 

As a contingency.

A mere contingency? Mere? Ben was merely collateral damage in all this, the way he saw it. Inconsequential.

Her veins iced over. A flood of understanding threatened to pull her under. For the first time she felt she knew what must have happened to Anakin Skywalker, because she could clearly see what Palpatine wanted her to do and she was going to do it anyway. She was going to kill him. Wanted to kill him.

Her previous bursts of emotion had been hot, reactive. Impulses that she had fought to control. What she felt now was cooler. Calculated, even.

The world around her crystallized and time fell away. All that mattered was her pain—Ben’s pain, and Palpatine’s. She lifted her hand and imagined what it would feel like to wrap it around his rotting throat. She imagined choking the life out of him. The satisfaction she would feel. 

And then she wasn’t imagining. She could feel his pallid flesh, and his pulse under her fingertips. She’d seen Vader cow subordinates and enemies alike this way, which should have horrified her, but it felt so right. Despite the tangible smugness about him, this felt so right. So necessary. Not just for her family, but for the New Republic—for the galaxy.

She hadn’t noticed Luke take her arm. But when he squeezed, his grip was just shy of bruising and impossible to ignore. He opened himself to their connection in the Force and flooded it with love once more. Not just for her, but for Han and Ben, for the life they’d all built together. It was thrilling and disorienting, recalling countless memories at once, as if they were her own. The emotions were the easiest to pick out—adoration, devotion, unabashed love—but experiences rose above the chaos as well— 

—Luke’s pulse drumming in his ears and the tightness in his throat when he confessed his feelings for her— 

—pride welling in his chest the first time she bested him in a duel— 

— the romantic conviction he felt about Ben’s name: “Obi-Wan brought the three of us together. Please consider it.”— 

Luke’s presence receded. He didn’t break their connection, but he untangled her from his memories.

Everything was at stake. Ben’s future. Their collective hopes and dreams for him. As much as she wanted— _needed_ —Palpatine dead, it couldn’t be this way. These dark feelings were hers, a part of her. But the cost of walking down that path wasn’t something she could live with, nor something she ever wanted to explain to her son. Or Han. He would never mourn Palpatine, but would he be able to look her in the eye? 

_Han._

She powered down her lightsaber and released it, and with it her hold on Palpatine.

Luke gently tried to guide her toward himself, and she allowed it this time, fighting the need to collapse completely into his arms. Relief washed over her. Her own, Luke’s laced with pride, and—Han? Not possible. Han was in orbit with Ben and— 

A volley of blaster bolts shot past her, heating the air where she’d been standing and knocking Palpatine’s form back into his throne. The all too familiar stench of plasma-scorched flesh made her eyes water.

Of course Han was here. Chewie and Lando were more than capable of keeping Ben safe and content. And Han could no more wait while the fate of their family hung in the balance than she or Luke, even if he had no chance against Palpatine one on one.

It took her a moment to locate Han’s presence. He was far enough away in the cavernous throne room that she hadn’t noticed him without expressly looking for him. That must have been the case for the former Emperor and Sith Lord as well, at least in his diminished capacity.

Leia turned her attention back to the crumpled body. There wasn’t a flicker of life detectable through the Force, and while her other senses supported this, she was hesitant to trust them.

“Do you think he’s gone? For good, I mean?”

Luke exhaled, failing to hide his uncertainty. “If he isn’t, we know what he’s after now, and we know he’s weak. More importantly, Ben has been a quick study with the mind shielding techniques we’ve been practicing…” he trailed off.

Leia followed Luke’s gaze. Han had started moving toward them.

“Did you two plan this?” She nodded to Han. Disapproval plain in her voice and the Force.

“No, not exactly. I know how this looks...” Luke was trying to convince himself. “I caught him unpacking the rifle. He said if I wanted to stop him I’d have to _drop_ him.”

Leia’s frustration faltered at that. She didn’t want to be mad at Luke for not stopping Han. And she didn’t want to be mad at Han— _couldn’t_ be mad. She was exhausted, hollowed out, and it would take time before her anger felt safe again.

“I heard a couple of cute Jedi needed rescuing.” Han’s tone was teasing, but his blaster was drawn and his eyes were locked on the Sith throne. His other hand gripped the strap of the blaster rifle that was slung over his shoulder.

Han skimmed the scene before his eyes stopped on Leia. He holstered his blaster, relief rolling off of him.

Leia threw both arms around Han, squeezing him tight. “I thought I assigned you to the babysitting detail.” Her words were firm, but not a true challenge.

“I delegated,” he quipped. But he sobered quickly. “You know I can’t sit on my hands when you two run in with lightsabers blazing. I wager that you’d do the same in my place.”

“You would certainly win that wager.”

She exhaled shakily, leaning against Han for physical support as much as a need for his closeness. A need for something safe and normal. Luke joined the embrace, wrapping an arm around each of them, and for the first time in a long while she felt secure. She could see a way forward. A sob that she hadn’t known was coming shook through her, and her eyes welled with unshed tears.

“Hey,” Han soothed. “Sweetheart, I’m scared too, but we’ve got this. We won today.”

She nodded against Han’s chest, opening herself to the Force. Ben was up in orbit, but it was simple to locate his playful little presence. “I know. I just—hold me, please. Just a bit longer.”

It was silly, she knew. They should be getting back to Ben, or getting a headstart on examining the citadel, but she wasn’t ready yet. Neither Han or Luke argued, though it wasn’t long before the fleet completed their micro-jumps in, and the recon teams were planetside.

***

Once the fleet arrived they had to clear out in a hurry. Leia wasn’t able to properly let down her guard until they were back on the _Falcon_. 

She found Ben curled up and asleep in the crew bunk. She resisted the urge to wake him, and curled up beside him instead. Once she was comfortable it wasn’t long before her exhaustion won out, dragging her into dreamless sleep.

When she came to she was alone, a worn blanket tucked carefully around her. She glanced at her wrist chrono. Four hours. Without thinking she opened herself to the Force, searching. Ben reached back in acknowledgement and greeting. Luke responded as well, but it was clear that he was dampening his emotions. Not the best of signs, though better than an immediate threat.

She took a few minutes to stretch and freshen up before making her way to the main hold. Han and Luke were seated at the game table, which was scattered with datapads and passable ration bars. And judging by the intermittent giggles that carried from the cockpit, Uncle Lando had some new material.

“Nice of you to join us.” Han flashed a lopsided grin, scooting toward Luke to make space for her.

Leia slid onto the curved bench and took a ration bar. She ignored the attempt at levity. “Any news?”

“We’re going to be busy,” Han said.

She knew without asking that he meant the three of them personally, as well as the New Republic. “That bad?”

Han hesitated, glancing to Luke and then back to her. “We’ve got cultists, a possible apprentice, and a clone to track down.”

Leia took a bite of the ration bar, and forced herself to chew for as long as she could stand to. It was decent for ready-to-eat food, but not quite enjoyable. They were clearly holding something back, and she couldn’t blame them. She had a bad habit of diving into the next crisis without properly caring for herself.

“Tell me,” she said, finally.

Luke cleared his throat. “They’re raising an army.”

“The Imperial Remnant? That’s not entirely surprising—”

“They’re taking children, Leia. Force-sensitive children.”

She had to force herself to breathe, to think. She wasn’t ready to fully feel that horror. Not yet. Her heart broke for those children and their families alike. She turned to Luke. “That’s why you haven’t found any prospective students?”

Luke swallowed. “It must be…”

“Hell of a coincidence, otherwise.”

Leia sighed. She leaned against Han and slid her hand along the game table, reaching for Luke. Luke laced his fingers through hers and squeezed lightly.

“We‘ll figure this out.” Her resolve solidified, and she nodded. “Together.”

**Author's Note:**

> Title borrowed from Leigh Brackett's initial script for The Empire Strikes Back.


End file.
